Workshop XI: From capital to climate impact: Fixing the missing middle

Global climate finance exceeds USD 1 trillion, yet only a fraction reaches climate SMEs in emerging markets. Investors still complain of a lack of truly bankable projects; entrepreneurs across emerging markets struggle to access the capital they need to grow their businesses. The result is a persistent “missing middle”: promising climate solutions stall before reaching scale, and investment capital remains under-deployed. Why does this gap persist, despite two decades of ecosystem building?

As climate technologies mature and markets become more complex, the traditional one-size-fits-all model of technical assistance no longer works. Investors increasingly need tailored pipelines, due diligence and support structures that align with their investment strategies and risk frameworks.

This interactive fishbowl discussion will explore how climate ecosystems must evolve to close this gap. The event will present PFAN’s new buy-side investment services, designed to work directly with private equity funds, impact investors, and development finance initiatives to strengthen pipelines and accelerate the deployment of capital to climate impact businesses. Together with investment professionals, we will explore how we pivot the provision of TA to further facilitate the deployment of capital, while enhancing both economic and impact returns. The session is open to all registered forum participants.

Interested in attending? Contact: lukas.baumhauer@reeep.org